1. Field
The disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for collecting and detecting a concentration of airborne particles. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an apparatus which utilizes a cyclone to collect airborne particles mixed in external air by absorbing the airborne particles in an absorbing liquid and thereafter detecting a pollution level, e.g., a concentration of the airborne particles, in the absorbing liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ambient air generally contains airborne substances such as airborne particles including microorganisms and/or dust, for example, which transmit diseases to human beings. In particular, crowded interior spaces such as office spaces and subways contain large amounts of airborne particles relative to less crowded or exterior spaces. Therefore, it is desired to measure a level of air contamination in interior spaces such as offices. To measure the level of air contamination, the airborne particles must be collected.
To collect the airborne particles, processes such as collision, gravitational and inertial precipitation, as well as filtering, electrification and condensation are typically used.
For example, collection of the airborne particles using collision is carried out by absorbing air containing airborne particles, e.g., micro materials, at a fast velocity to collide the micro materials against a culture plate. To provide the fast velocity, an inertial force and/or a friction force are utilized to facilitate collecting the micro materials. However, this method has inherent problems, in that it cannot be used repetitively, and a viability of any microbes in the micro materials is substantially reduced.
On the other hand, collection of micro materials using filtering is carried out by passing a predetermined volume of air through a filter to collect the micro materials on a surface of the filter. However, the filter method also has inherent problems in that frequent replacement of filters is required, and the method cannot be repeated easily, for example.
Collection of micro materials using electrification is typically accomplished by absorbing the micro materials on a surface of a filter using electrostatic attraction. However, this method is also problematic in that it requires additional components, such as an ion charger, for example.
Collection of micro materials using condensation is generally accomplished by absorbing micro materials mixed in air with atomized particles to condense the micro materials and thereby collect them in a liquefied state. In the condensation method, it is possible to collect viruses, and implement diverse detecting methods, but the condensation method also disadvantages, such as a requirement that to provide moisture and atomized particles for adsorption of the micro materials.
A lung simulating aerosol sampler, which is an apparatus for analyzing airborne particles aspirated from outside into a bubbler by a vacuum pump, has also been researched.
However, the abovementioned conventional samplers do not collect airborne particles in liquid medium, but merely measure the airborne particles using electrification, condensation or filtering, for example. Thus, conventional samplers are not well-suited for collecting airborne particles, and a collecting efficiency thereof is typically unacceptably low.
Thus, it is desired to develop an apparatus for efficient collection of airborne particles of microbiological origin.